Stronger is the goal.
Lift. Move. Maybe even jump. Getting older is a reason to build strength.
There’s more to exercise than how it makes us look. Think about what it lets us keep doing: carrying the groceries, taking the stairs, getting up off the floor, and feeling capable in our bodies.
And then there’s the bone research. Actual improvements in bone density from the way we move? That got my attention.
Wait. Jumping?
Yes. Jumping. No fancy machine. No subscription. Your body and gravity.
Bones respond to load. The impact of landing and the pull of working muscles provide signals that can help bones adapt. In one randomized study, a short jumping program improved hip bone density over 16 weeks in premenopausal women. That’s a pretty compelling reason to be curious about something so simple.
The exciting part is that bone density can improve. Calling jumping a universal “reversal of osteoporosis” would go beyond this study: it tested a specific program in a specific group.
Our bones can still respond after menopause.
The LIFTMOR trial studied postmenopausal women with low bone mass. A supervised program combining high-intensity resistance exercise and impact training improved bone density and physical function compared with a lower-intensity home program.
That’s what I find encouraging: aging doesn’t mean our only option is to accept getting weaker. The training was carefully taught and supervised, which is part of the story—not a small detail.
Leg day belongs in the menopause conversation.
Squats, step-ups, and other lower-body strength exercises train the muscles we rely on to stand, walk, climb, and stay steady. That alone gives leg day a purpose far beyond how our legs look.
There’s also symptom research: a 15-week randomized trial found that resistance training reduced moderate-to-severe hot flushes in postmenopausal women. It studied a resistance-training program, rather than leg day alone. The broader evidence on exercise and hot flashes is mixed, so symptom relief is a possibility—not a promise.
My takeaway? Strength training deserves a place in the plan for muscle, bone, and everyday function, whether or not it changes your hot flashes.
Resistance training and hot flushes ↗ · The Menopause Society’s perspective ↗
Heavier is personal. Progress is the point.
Getting older makes maintaining strength more important. It doesn’t mean everyone should grab the heaviest weight in the room. Choose resistance that challenges you with good technique, then gradually increase the challenge as your ability grows.
For one person, that starts with standing up from a chair. For another, it’s a loaded squat. Both can be real strength work. Train your whole body, and give balance some attention too: being strong and steady helps protect your independence and reduce fall risk.
Carry things. Get off the floor. That’s strength, too.
Farmer’s carries: Pick up a manageable weight in each hand and walk with control. It’s a simple way to challenge your grip, trunk, and whole-body strength—and it looks a lot like bringing groceries into the house. Choose a load you can carry upright without holding your breath, and keep the path clear.
Floor-to-stand practice: Also called floor transfers, this means practicing getting down to the floor and back up. Getting up to standing is a skill worth keeping: think gardening, playing with grandchildren, or just being able to move confidently at home.
Start beside a sturdy chair or with someone qualified to help you learn a comfortable technique. Use support when you need it. If getting down or up is painful, makes you dizzy, or feels unsafe, a physiotherapist can help you adapt the movement.
I love strength that shows up in real life. Carry your stuff. Get up from the ground. Keep the ability to do both.
Harvard Health: carries and core strength ↗ · NHS: getting up and down from the floor ↗
People worth listening to.
Dan Go · @coachdango
Dan Go is a coach I enjoy following for his approach to staying strong and active as we get older. Start with his video below for movement ideas to explore.
Watch: I’m 46. These are 7 exercises I use to feel like I’m 26. ↗
Follow @coachdango on TikTok ↗Harvard physician Dr. Robert Schreiber discusses strength training as a way to preserve everyday abilities and independence as we age. Professor Belinda Beck and the LIFTMOR research team have studied how appropriately supervised loading can help people with low bone mass. Their work makes this conversation more useful than a blanket instruction to “lift heavier.”
Dr. Schreiber on strength and independence ↗ · Harvard Health on exercise for bones ↗
CDC: include muscle-strengthening activity at least two days a week ↗